Good Enough

This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. John 3:19 NASB

Evil – When you read this verse in John’s account, what comes to mind? Do you see a great cosmic battle between good and evil? Do you conjure up images of those terrible, immoral people bent on selfish acts? Do you think of the murderers, rapists, adulterers, idolaters, those whose lives are riddled with violence and destruction? Not you, of course. You are in the light. You have the truth. You don’t do all of those terrible, bad things.

The Greek word here is poneros. It might be useful to understand its wider range of meanings. “This word, from a group denoting poverty or need, has the senses 1. ‘sorrowful,’ ‘unhappy,’ ‘laden with care,’ 2. ‘bringing trouble,’ 3. ‘pitiable,’ ‘poor,’ ‘unfit,’ ‘unattractive,’ ‘bad,’ ‘unlucky,’ 4. ‘unsuccessful,’ 5. ‘plebeian,’ 6. ‘politically useless,’ ‘worthless,’ and finally 7. ‘morally reprehensible’ with the various nuances.”[1] In the LXX, it carries the meanings “bad, unfavorable, worthless, unhappy, hurtful, futile” and finally “evil in the moral sense.” Biblically, poneros is the opposite of Micah’s declaration (Micah 6:8) that only God knows what is good.

Now let’s think about John’s statement again. The prophet tells me what God considers good, that is, love hesed, do mishpat and walk humbly in His derek. Anything else is poneros. Anything else includes those actions that bring sorrow, cause unhappiness, are unsuccessful, are unattractive, are futile, unlucky, worthless or disobedient. Ah, not exactly the lists of murder, adultery, rape and the things we tend to view as really evil. “For their deeds were evil” suddenly includes a lot of things we do! Have you ever done something that made someone else unhappy? Have you ever brought on sorrow, been unsuccessful, hurtful, burdened with care for yourself? Have you experienced worthlessness, futility, detrimental behaviors? Even see yourself as pitiful? Ever done something reprehensible?

Maybe the darkness is not so far away after all. Maybe you and I live on the edge of the shadow. Maybe that’s why stepping into the light hurts. Maybe that’s why we keep some closet doors locked shut.

It’s easy and convenient to imagine that John is pointing at those “others” whose lives are filled with the immoral acts we don’t do. But careful examination shows us something else—something far more troubling. We love darkness too. But God loves light and if we love Him, we will open ourselves to His scorching. The price of shadow-living is ultimately just too high. You have to get burned if you want to be in His presence.

Topical Index: evil, poneros, good, light, John 3:19

[1] Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1985). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (912). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

 

A TRAVEL NOTE:  On Tuesday, April 7, Rosanne and I will be traveling to Sicily to see if we can find some of her family still living there.  Since we will be visiting very small villages, there is a good possibility that internet access will be quite limited.  So if you don’t hear from me on the blog for awhile, don’t worry.  I will just be enjoying pasta and good wine.  Today’s Word will not be interrupted but book orders will be a bit delayed.  I’ll keep you posted as I am able.

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Michael Stanley

Fai buon viaggio!

Buon divertimento!

No, I don’t speak Italian (or Hebrew), but just for fun I thought I’d try to use a pocket dictionary to wish you a safe trip and a fun time in that language. Either that or I said you were born a vegetable and you need to divert your Mentos mint candies (to me?!) Anyway – enjoy yourselves. You both deserve a vacation. Send us pictures!

laurita hayes

All that misses the mark is evil. I missed the mark, trying my hardest. Through tremendous difficulty, I did my very best to love, to hang on, to do right no matter what. And I got creamed. All my best efforts (not my worst!) turned to ashes in my fingers. Not only that, I myself got worse and worse off. Life slammed me. I got more and more frustrated, and sicker and sicker. There was no relief in sight. For the life of me, I could not see a way to break the conundrum.

I finally found myself in a twelve step program. Sitting there, hearing my story come out of so many others’ mouths, the light slowly began to dawn. The cracks in the armor of what had been up until that point a perfect crime in my life began to show themselves. What was I possibly doing wrong?

I began to see that it was I myself that was creating the edges and limits of my reality: not others or G-d. I was the one making the rules of the game I was playing, and He was letting me. I was the one who was attempting to define what love ‘should’ look like, and I was the one who was attempting to be the source of that love. Was I ‘doing’ anything wrong? Nope. My actions were correct. My motives were correct. I knew the Law. But, I began to realize that in the effort to accomplish love in my own strength, which no one can do, there was a missing link, and that missing link was the POWER to actually accomplish the goal, the mark, of the high calling. Not only were my efforts laughable, they were not getting the benediction, the blessing, of Heaven. Not once did I feel that I was getting backed up, reinforced or rewarded with success. Not once did love work out for me! I was failing at love!

What was my mistake? I did not have a working relationship with the Source of Love; the POWER of Love. I found, at the very outer edges of the yetzer ha-ra what no one could have ever told me; that I cannot manufacture love. I can see it, want it, define it correctly, and desire to do it, but that is not enough. I still have to be plugged into the Wall. Love comes from beyond me.

My best efforts were only doing what Skip listed above. I was, with my very best efforts, still only RESULTING in bringing sorrow and causing unhappiness. Yep. I was being quite unsuccessful, for sure, and was certainly being unattractive (pitiable is more like it!), unlucky, worthless (oh, I felt that one!) and, last but not least, I was being disobedient, but for the life of me I could not see how! Oh, I was being “poneros”. There’s finally a word for me! Thank you! I was being disobedient because what I was told to do was have a relationship with my Father, and that was not happening. I knew that was not happening, but I did not see WHY it was not happening, because I could not see the stinking thinking that was preventing me from enjoying that fellowship. I was not free to relate to my Maker because I was bound by incorrect beliefs about Him, myself, others, and about love, too. I had fallen for lies that were informing those beliefs that were preventing me from reaching out and actually touching. I was a wretch, lost in a world that I had created, or at least acceded to, and I had lost the keys.

I was believing accusing things about G-d, myself and others that were not true. I had accumulated those rotten beliefs along the way from my experiences, from how others had acted or treated me, from the example of others, from what I had been told was true: also, in my weak moments, some of that stinking thinking had just jumped on me and, in my isolation, I had no strength to keep it out, even though I recognized it as wrong, and, once it was in, I did not know how to get it back out (and, no, the answer was NOT more efforts by me!)

I desperately needed an education on HOW to recognize false beliefs and HOW to protect myself against the accusation that engendered them. I also needed to be taught what to do with the places in my life that were characterized by a lack of faith, which were exactly those places in which the yetzer ha-ra (ego?) felt it had to step up to bat. When I listen to the Accuser, the result is always going to be a loss of faith in G-d, myself, or others. Rotten beliefs that are the fruit of those accusations are beliefs in which can be found no faith in Him, myself or others. If I am not walking in faith, I am going to walking in sin. Stinking thinking is all about trust, or the lack thereof. If Christians have lost the full sense of what this really means, then perhaps even the stones may have to cry out. If we think faith is about some abstract doctrine, then the world may end up knowing better than we do. Ask most any up-and-coming youngin these days what creates the conditions of poneros (love the new word!), and they will very likely turn around and say “oh, you mean that person has TRUST ISSUES”. Oh, yes. Out of the mouths of babes. Its going to start to get embarrassing for the Christian world here pretty soon if we can’t start waking up and seeing what the world can see. The world is motivated by the question “why isn’t it working out?” The answers are promised to all sincere seekers and askers. Shouldn’t we be the first to be asking “Why is there poneros?” instead of just thinking we already know, or, worse, attempting to make up a bunch of abstract or even doctrinal reasons why that mark is getting missed?

wes

Thank you Laurita. Do you by chance know Dr. Bob and Bill?

laurita hayes

Wes, I think I know their wives by proxy!

Bill Blancke

Via con Dios! I think that’s it, one of my favorite expressions, “Go with G_d”. The Way, presented from a Hebraic perspective has been the balm of Gilead to me since I found TW. I praise YHWH for you Skip. May the fetching Mrs. Moen and you have a fruitful and relaxing journey.

Tanya Predoehl

Thank you for this post Skip. It makes me happy to hear that you and Rosann are going on vacation. I pray it will be refreshing.

monica

Have a safe trip bro. And may YAH guide and protect you both, and I would not be surprised if you do some teaching on this trip! Lots of pictures please SHALOM

Suzanne

So glad you and Rosanne are getting away! Be blessed and be refreshed. We will be thinking about you.

cbcb

I was wondering I believe I stepped out in faith & obedience .I didn’t defend myself with false accusations knowing my justification in Christ . I really believe I passed some kind of test . I understand suffering with Christ -I realize our rewards are in heaven , but I really long & desire for the reward of God Himself on earth today for me – am I learning maturity ? Am I missing something? Does anyone struggle with this ? Has anyone experienced an earthly reward of God?Or is our rewards attributed in heaven ? Or does reward mean like health , provision, rainbows , safe travels????????

Suzanne

Hi cbcb — I think there are times to defend ourselves and there are times to simply walk away. Maybe the criteria is whether your self-defense restores the relationship or restores your good name, versus a time of self-defense which only adds fuel to the fire.

As far as rewards go, take some time and examine the Greek word misthos translated as “reward” in the NT and then look for it in the LXX. You will find in the Tanakh that it is translated as “wage”, just as often as “reward”. Our Greek church-influenced thinking sometimes makes “reward” seem to be an unearned prize, something akin to winning the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes.

My impression is that reward is more in line with a wage for services. When you enter into a contract to provide a service, it is not unlawful to expect the agreed upon wage — and in fact, Torah makes it unlawful to withhold a wage that is earned. I think when the apostolic writers (NT) are talking about reward, it is more like saying “don’t think that keeping God’s law goes unnoticed by God”. If one keeps Torah, just to gain the approval of men, then that person has received his wage. But if you are doing it because it is service to YHVH, your service is remembered by Him. The one thing we all hope to hear someday are the words “well done, good and faithful servant” — anything which may follow THAT “reward” will be icing on the cake.

carl roberts

Naked (and Not Ashamed)

No Hidden Agendas

~ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do ~ (Hebrews 4.13)

http://biblehub.com/library/simpson/days_of_heaven_upon_earth_/october_18_all_things_are.htm

May I introduce SomeOne? SomeOne who IS the Light of the world. SomeOne who was and is and is to come.

~ All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being ~

*In Him* was [and is] Life and the Life was [and still is] the Light of men. The Light [continually, eternally] shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it, [neither then nor now]. John 1.4

That Source, (lest there be any confusion), is One who has come into this world through the portals of a virgin’s womb. This Source of Light [ and of Light and of Love] is the crucified, buried and risen Lamb of God.

Here is John’s partial description of the “New Jerusalem” [the city of peace] –

…I saw no temple in it, for the LORD God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.

– And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, **and its Lamp [the Light] is the Lamb.** The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.. [Revelation 21.23-24]

“Light” in its simplest form is that which reveals. Darkness conceals, Light reveals.

~When Jesus spoke again to the people,

He said, [when He speaks, do we listen?]

“I AM the Light of the world.”

“Whosoever” [who does “whosoever” not include?]

follows Me [our instructions are?]

will NEVER walk in darkness, – but WILL HAVE the Light of Life.”

[May I?] Are you a “Christ follower?”

He is:

The Way (want to know the Way? – He is)
The Truth (what is Truth? – He is)
The Life [Friend, “eternal Life” is not only a quantity, but a quality as well!]

He who is The Truth, speaks only what is true! Remember, He is incapable of a lie!

Did The Messiah [has He proven Himself over and over again to be The Messiah?] ever pray a prayer that God did not answer?

Read John chapter 17 again and KNOW [rest assured] God is working in you and will work through you, to accomplish His will, for we are the vessels He uses. Is there any greater joy than to be used by God and to know it?

~ Beloved, let us [continue to] love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love..

And?

~ By this [one thing] shall all men know that you are My disciples if you have love one to another ~

The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,
The Light of the world is Jesus!

Like sunshine at noonday, His glory shone in;

The Light of the world is Jesus!

Come to the Light, ’tis shining for thee;

Sweetly the light has dawned upon me;

Once I was blind, but now I can see:

The Light of the world is Jesus!

No darkness have we who in Jesus abide;

The Light of the world is Jesus!

We walk in the Light when we follow our Guide!

The Light of the world is Jesus!

Ye dwellers in darkness with sin-blinded eyes,

The Light of the world is Jesus!

Go, wash at His bidding, and Light will arise;

The Light of the world is Jesus!

No need of the sunlight in Heaven we’re told;

The Light of the world is Jesus!

The Lamb is the Light in the city of gold,

The Light of the world is Jesus!

Come to the Light, ’tis shining for thee;

Sweetly the light has dawned upon me;

– Once I was blind, but now I can see:

The Light of the world is Jesus!

~ But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day! ~ (Proverbs 4.18)

Tonya

Have a wonderful visit! I hope you are able to find the relatives, such a special thing to do. Be blessed and refreshed!